METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENSURING AND TRACKING HAND HYGIENE COMPLIANCE

• US 20150134357A1
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sage Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sage Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Beck, David, Cagle, Ronald C., Duvall, Jessica, Davis, Gregory T.
• Granted Patent: US 11,123,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/122 using squeeze bottles or the like A47K5/1201 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/80 Implements for cleaning or washing the skin of surgeons or patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A method for ensuring hand hygiene compliance may include tracking dispensing of a plurality hand hygiene dispensers having hand sanitizer. Each hand hygiene dispenser can be associated with an individual user. A processor may determine dispensing rates of the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers for a plurality of predetermined time periods and each of the plurality of the hand hygiene dispensers is identified with an individual user. The average dispensing rate can be calculated taking a predetermined number of highest dispensing rates out of the plurality of predetermined time periods. The rates can be displayed to the users, and the users can be notified of proper hand hygiene compliance or if the average dispensing rate falls below a target threshold rate.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of hand hygiene dispensers, each hand hygiene dispenser comprising a housing configured to receive a container adapted to store hand sanitizer, the housing comprising an input for detecting hand sanitizing events when hand sanitizer is dispensed from the container, the input being located within the housing, a memory for storing hand sanitizing events, an accelerometer for recording motion information in the memory;

a plurality of computing devices each computing device having a display, each computing device configured to receive data from the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers regarding when one or more hand sanitizing events have occurred; and

a calculation module configured to perform a method comprising;

determining by a processor a dispensing rate of one or more of the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers for one or more predetermined time periods, and calculating an average dispensing rate based on a predetermined number of dispensing rates.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the calculation module is configured to send a notification regarding the individual user'"'"'s hand hygiene performance to one or more of the hand hygiene dispensers for displaying the notification.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the calculation module is configured to identify each of the plurality of the hand hygiene dispensers with an individual user.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the calculation module resides on the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers, on the plurality of computing devices, or at a remote location.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the calculation module is configured to review the dispensing of one or more of the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers over a predetermined time period to determine whether one or more of the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers has a higher dispensing rate to detect cheating by a user.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the container is configured to be squeezed to dispense sanitizer and to actuate the input within the housing.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the container defines a wall, the wall being placed adjacent to the input such that the wall contacts the input and actuates the input when a user dispenses the hand sanitizer stored within the container.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the calculation module is configured to detect whether an appropriate amount of hand sanitizing solution is used.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the hand hygiene dispensers include a display for displaying hand hygiene data.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein each hand hygiene dispenser is configured to communicate to a network via a low energy transmission protocol.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the low energy transmission protocol is low energy Bluetooth.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the hand hygiene dispensers are configured to send the hand sanitizing events stored on the memory to one of the computing devices when the hand hygiene dispensers are within a predetermined range of the one of the computing devices.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the motion information is used to identify motion and hand hygiene patterns.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the motion and hand hygiene patterns are used to create templates for evaluating hand hygiene data.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein a processor is configured to provide an electronic certification based on a minimum number of shifts by a user and a ratio of shift use rates at or above a predetermined goal rate.

16. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of hand hygiene dispensers, providing each hand hygiene dispenser with a housing configured to receive a container adapted to store hand sanitizer, providing the housing with an input for detecting hand sanitizing events when hand sanitizer is dispensed from the container, placing the input within the housing, providing a memory for storing hand sanitizing events, providing an accelerometer in the housing for recording motion information in the memory, configuring each hand hygiene dispenser to communicate to a network via a low energy transmission protocol;

providing a plurality of computing devices, configuring each computing device to receive data from the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers regarding when one or more hand sanitizing events have occurred via the low energy transmission protocol; and

configuring a calculation module to determine a dispensing rate of one or more of the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers for one or more predetermined time periods, and calculating an average dispensing rate based on a predetermined number of dispensing rates.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising configuring the calculation module to send a notification to an individual user regarding the individual user'"'"'s hand hygiene performance.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising configuring the calculation module to identify each of the plurality of the hand hygiene dispensers with an individual user.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising placing the calculation module on the plurality of hand hygiene dispensers, on the plurality of computing devices, or at a remote location.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising configuring the container to be squeezed to dispense sanitizer and to actuate the input within the housing.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing the container with a wall, the wall being placed adjacent the input such that the wall contacts the input and actuates the input when a user dispenses the hand sanitizer stored within the container.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing each of the hand hygiene dispensers with a display for displaying hand hygiene data.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising configuring the low energy transmission protocol as low energy Bluetooth.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprising configuring each of the hand hygiene dispensers to send the hand sanitizing events stored on the memory to one of the computing devices when the hand hygiene dispensers are within a predetermined range of the one of the computing devices.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein the motion information is used to identify motion and hand hygiene patterns.

26. The method of claim 16 further comprising using the motion and hand hygiene patterns to create templates for evaluating hand hygiene data.

27. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing an electronic certification based on a minimum number of shifts by a user and a ratio of shift use rates at or above a predetermined goal rate.